'^i^'n /- 



: ^""y 1 




HULL'S 



Surrender of Detroit. 



By BENSON J. LOSSING, LL.D. 



REPRINTED, WITH ADDITIONS, FROM " P0TTP:R'S AMERICAN , MONTHLY,' 

AUGUST, 1875. 



PHILADELPHIA ; 
JOHN E. POTTER AND COMPANY, 

No. 617 vSansom Street. 



HULL'S 



Surrender of Detroit. 



By BENSON J. LOSSING, LL.D. 



REPRINTED, WITH ADDITIONS, FROM " POTTER'S AMERICAN MONTHLY,' 

AUGUST, 1875. 



» -1 



PHILADELPHIA: 
JOHN E. POTTER AND COMPANY, 

No. 617 Sansom Street. 



IN fiXCJHANGfl 



i/ 



!rAe article by (Dr. Lossing^ here reprinted by Ins 
consent and that of his publisher's, first appeared in 
''(Potter's American Monthly Magazine," August, 
18 J J, J^o. 44. A few passages, not bearing on the 
Surrender of Detroit, have been omitted ; and a feiv 
notes referring to the authorities, added. 



HTJLL'S 



Surrender of Detroit 



The name of William Hull holds a conspicuous place in the 
annals of our country — conspicuous for gallant deeds and patient 
suffering under false accusations. I do not propose to give in this 
paper a biography of this citizen ; only outline pictures of the more 
salient points in the history of his life, from his birth in Derby, a 
village on the Housatonic River, in Connecticut, in 1753, until his 
death in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1825. He labored gallantly 
in the camp and in the field whenever opportunity offered, and he 
suffered the stings of unjust public reproach many years, that were 
set in motion by a few selfish, ambitious or ignorant men, who 
misled the judgment of the nation. These even secured the ear of 
History, and that misled judgment obscured her vision, and to this 
day she has taught the world (with few exceptions) untruthful 
stories about the character and career of an American citizen who 
deserves the love and veneration of his countrymen for his brave 
and generous deeds. It is a pleasant task for me to recall from 
the obscurity of the past a vindication of the patriot who nf.ade his 
dwelling-house at Newton one of the conspicuous Historic Build- 
ings of America. 

After his graduation at Yale College young Hull studied divinity 



4 HULL'S SURRENDLiR OF DLITROLT. 

a year, to fit him for tlic Christian ministry, in compliance witli 
the wishes of liis parents. He could not conscientiously make the 
profession of a clergyman his life pursuit, and he entered the Law 
School at Litchfield, Connecticut. In 1775 he was admitted to 
the Bar, and had just entered upon its practice when the War for 
Independence broke out. He had taken an active part in the 
Revolutionary movements. One evening his fother, returning 
from a i)ublic meeting of the citizens of Derby, .said, "William, 
who C^ii you suppose has been elected captain of the conij)any that 
has been raised in this town?" William named several, when his 
father surprised him by saying, "It is you." He accepted the 
honors and duties of his position, closed the doors of his law-office, 
and entered ui)on military duties under Colonel Webb. At about 
the same time Hull's father died, and left his considerable estate to 
his widow and children. William refused to receive any part of it, 
saying, "I only want my sword and my uniform." A few days 
afterward he was on his way with his company to join Washington 
at Cambridge. From that time until the close of hostilities he was 
an active and skillful soldier. Dorchester Heights, White Plains, 
Trenton and Princeton witnessed the achievements that won for 
him the commission of major. At Ticonderoga, Stillwater, Sara- 
.toga, Monmouth and Stony Point his skill and valor won for him 
the commission of lieutenant-colonel ; and when he assisted in the 
capture of Cornwallis, late in 1781, he held the commission of 
colonel. 

Ivarly in 1781, after having served about six years in the army 
without asking for a finlough, he obtained leave of absence to com- 
plete a contjuest and lake i)OSsession of the i)ri/e won by his valor 
in another field, lie repaired to lioston in l-'ebruary, 1781, and 
soon afterward was married to .Sarah, only daughter of Judge 
I*'idler, of Newton, Massachusetts. ( )f tlial vie tory and ils results 
the veleran soldier wrote fr(.)in the lu)nie of liis britle, tlie Hull 



HULL'S SURRENDER OE DETROfr. 5 

mansion, at Newton, in 1822: " It was a reward for all the toils 
and dangers whicli, for six years, 1 had encountered. It lias con- 
tinued for nearly forty years, and my beloved companion has not 
only sailed with me down the stream of life, enjoying its jirosperous 
gales, but has steadily and affectionately supported me in gloomy 
periods, as well as in the last trying storm which, by faith in an 
overruling Providence, I have met and borne in all its fury." 

I will pass on with only brief mention of the principal events in 
the life of Colonel Hull, after his marriage, to his appointment as 
Governor of the Territory of Michigan. 

When the army of the Revolution was about to be disbanded, 
and Washington and a few troops entered the city of New York on 
the day when the British left it. Colonel Hull was selected to lead 
the military escort of the Commander-in-Chief on that occasion, 
and was with him until his departure for Annapolis to resign his 
commission. In 17S6 Hull retired from the army, and for several 
years practiced law in Newton with marked success. He soon 
became a leading man there, representing his district in the 
Massachusetts Legislature, and being made a major-general of 
militia. In Shay's rebellion he commanded one wing of Lincoln's 
forces. Pushing on to the camp of the insurgents in spite of a 
violent snow-storm, he surprised and dispersed them. In 1793 he 
was sent by the government of. the United States to treat with the 
Indians in Canada; and five years afterward he went to Europe. 
' After his return he was appointed Judge of the Court of Common 
Pleas of Massachusetts. 

President Jefferson appointed General Hull Governor of the 
Territory of Michigan* in 1805, which office he held until. 1812. 



* The white inh.il)itants of Michigan in 181 1 were 4,860 in number, four- 
fifths of wliom were French. With the exception of a small strip of land on the 
river and lake, all the ]irescnt Slate of Michii;an was occupied hy Indians — • 



6 HULLS SURRENDER OE DETROIT. 

Detroit, a small struggling village on the west side of the Detroit 
River, was the capital of his domain, and was inhabited chiefly by 
French Canadians. There he built a house for his family, and in- 
vested a large portion of his fortune in real estate. During the 
winter and spring of 1812 he was in Washington City, where he 
listened with anxiety to the debates in Congress on the subject of 
a declaration of war against Great Britain, for he feared that in the 
event of such a declaration the government would be in favor of 
an immediate invasion of Canada. Hull well knew the perils to 
his own Territory which such an invasion would involve, and 
always gave his voice against it. He well knew what pains the 
British authorities in Canada had taken, by presents of firearms 
and other things, to induce the Indian tribes of the Northwest to 
become their allies.* He well knew how successful the British had 
been in their diplomacy to that end, and he knew that the mo- 
ment American troops should cross the Detroit River into Canada, 
there was danger of an invasion of Michigan, and the complete 
desolation of the Territory. Without a fleet on Lake Erie,t of 
which the British were masters, it would be almost impossible to 
defend Michigan, much less to invade Canada with success by such 
a force as might be raised in that region. 

President Madison listened to Hull's advice to some extent, but 
he was overruled by others having more force than himself. He 
])ersuadcd Governor Hull to acccjjt the office of brigadier-general 
in the regular army, made a requisition upon Governor Meigs, of 



Pottawattomies, Miamis, Wyandots, Chippewa.s, Winnebagoes and OUawas. — 
" Mi/i(ary and Civil Life of General Hull.''' IVi-m York : D. Applelon &= (v., 
1S48, page 307. 

* .See " Ci~,'il and Military Life of General I/ull,'' page 310. 

f 111 tlircc separalc memorials addressed to ihc War DeparlmciU in Ai)iil, 
1S09, June, 181 1, and March, i8i2, (loneral Ihdl bad urged ihc necessity of a 
fleet on Lake I'!rie. Again, after his appointment as brigadier-general, he urged 
the same thing in a memorial to the President. — " Military and Civil Life" etc., 
pages 327-413. 



HULL'S SURRENDER OF DETROIT. 7 

Ohio, for a detachment of twelve hundred militia to be disciplined, 
and prepared to march instantly for Detroit when they should be 
called for. Hull accepted the commission of brigadier-general 
only that he might more efficiently protect his domain against the 
savages.* He returned to Detroit, resolved to do whatever his 
country should demand of him, but with a strong hope that war 
would be averted. 

Hull's hopes were disappointed, for in June following, our gov- 
ernment formally declared war against Great Britain, Governor 
Meigs, meanwhile, had gathered and disciplined the militia of 
Ohiof with great alacrity, and late in May he had placed them 
under the command of Hull in an open field near Dayton. The 
veteran soldier, then about sixty years of age, made a patriotic 
speech to them, when they all moved forward cheerfully toward 
Detroit, up the valley of the Miami or Maumee River. As he 
advanced, Hull had sure indications of Indian hostilities. Tecum- 
tha was the ally of the British, and his authority was almost 
supreme over a vast region, and over many savages. 

On the 24th of June, six days after war had been declared, Hull 
received a despatch from the War Department, directing him to 
hasten with his troops to Detroit, and there await further orders. 
A little more than a week later, when he was at Frenchtown (now 



* See " Military and Civil Life;' etc., page 326. 

f The Ohio volunteers were militia just called into the field, and were defi- 
cient in discipline. Lieutenant Bacon, of the Fourth United States Infantry, 
testified at the court-martial as follows : " Generally speaking, the Ohio volunteers 
and militia were insubordinate. One evening, at Urbana, I saw a multitude and 
heard a noise, and was informed that a company of Ohio volunteers were riding 
one of their officers on a rail. Witness thinks he saw one hundred of the Ohio 
militia who refused to cross into Canada." — Forbes" s "Report of the Court-Mar- 
tiai;' page 124. ^ ' 

The arms and equipments of these troops were unfit for service ; the men were 
without blankets, clothing or ammunition, and the government had made no 
provision for either. — " Memoirs of the Campaign of iSis" by William Hull. 
True &> Greene, Boston, 1824, page 34. 



8 HULL'S SURRENDER OE DETROIT. 

Monroe, Michigan), he received another despatch, informing him 
of the declaration of war.* The British authorities in Canada had 
received earlier intelligence of the event, and acted accordingly. 
Before Hull received the second despatch, he had hired a schooner 
for the conveyance of his heavy baggage, intrenching tools, etc., 
to Detroit, so that he might relieve his wearied pack-horses. This 
vessel sailed from the site of Toledo on the day before he received 
the news of tlie declaration of war. She was captured by an armed 
vessel sent out from Maiden. By mistake his private papers con- 
taining the muster-rolls of his army, and other information which 
he did not wish the enemy to possess, had been placed on board of 
the schooner. 

When the wearied troops reached Detroit, Hull rested and 
awaited orders, according to his instructions. Tiie British were 
constructing fortifications on the opposite side of the river that 
might endanger Detroit, and Hull's officers, most of them ardent 
young men, were impatient to invade Canada ami drive off tlie 
fort-builders. They urged the General to do so, when he replied, 
"I have no authority to invade Canada." They insisted that it 
was his duty to do so, under the circumstances. He replied firmly, 
" While I have the command I will obey the orders of my govern- 
ment. I will not cross over until I hear from Wasliington." Tlie 
young officers were much irritated, and felt rebellious. That night 
a despatch was received from the Secretary (jf War, directing Hull 
"to commence operations immediately." This relieved the 
General from perplexity and satisfied his officers. 

With about sixteen hundred effective men,f Hull now crossed 

* See Hull's " .lA///('/r.v," as alxjve, pa^e 35 ; also, " ,//7//.f/;-<v/;'-".f Xotices of 
till- il'iir of iSi3," paj^cs 47, 4S. 

t .Major Jcssuj), nrij^adc-Majtir of llic army, tt-<litioil at tlu' coiirl martial that 
Hull crossed into t'anatla with sixteen or eijfhteen liundnd nun. Tlie estimate 
of his force nia<lc hy (leneral Hull l1im^elf was fomleiii luindieil.— -/vr/'cr'j 
" Report of the Court- Martial^'' pa),'e 42. 



HULL'S SURRENDER OE DETROIT. 9 

the Detroit River, raised the American standard, and issued a stir- 
ring proclamation to the inhabitants of Canada, in which assurance 
was given that the peaceful and (|uiet dwellers should be secure in 
person and property, but no ([uarters would be given to any wlio 
should l)e found fit,diting side by side with the Indians. A coj^y 
of that proclamation, with an account of his movements, was sent 
by Hull to the Secretary of War. The latter wrote to the General, 
"Your operations are approved by. the government." When dis- 
aster followed, this approval was concealed, and histories for more 
than fifty years declared that the invasion was unauthorized. The 
American Commissioners at the Treaty of Ghent, misled, made the 
same declaration, 

Hull's invasion of Canada was a failure. His excessive caution 
won for him the dislike, the injurious suspicions, and the contempt 
of his young and impatient officers, who wished to march immedi- 
ately upon Fort Maiden, an important British i)ost eighteen miles 
below Detroit. At about the same time news came from the far 
north, that the American fort at Mackinaw had been captured by a 
force of British and Indians, and that the savage hosts in that 
region were about to go upon the war-path into Michigan. Hull 
knew better than his young officers the perils that menaced his 
army, and tiie necessity for its preservation for the protection of 
the inhabitants of his Territory. They could not know the anxiety 
that produced his caution, and they charged the General (secretly 
at first, and then (juite openly) with imbecility, cowardice, and 
even treason. But he remained dutiful to his convictions of right ; 
and early in August he ordered his little army to abandon the 
invasion of Canada and recross the river. 

Meanwhile Major-General Brock had been sent to the western 
frontier of Canada with a few British regulars and a militia force.* 

* General Brock's own account of his force was, whites, 730 men; Indians, 
600 ; 1,330 in all; but he seems to have underratcil liis own force, for in his 



10 JJULL'S SURRENDER OE DETROIT. 

He cast up intrenchments opposite Detroit, and on the 15th of 
August he sent a summons to Hull, demanding an immediate sur- 
render of his troops, fort, town, and Territory. The summons was 
accompanied by a covert threat to let loose the savages upon the 
Americans. 

Hull was now moved by conflicting emotions. His pride of 
character, his patriotism, and his desire to satisfy his officers bade 
him fight, his tender regard for his troops and the inhabitants of 
the town bade him surrender.* He obeyed the former impulse at 

biography it is stated that one thousand Indians, under Tecunisch, met liini in 
council at Amherstljurg, and all expressed their determination to fight on liis 
side. — " Military and Civil Life^'' etc., page 362. 

General Brock had also all the sailors and marines of his naval force, then 
lying in the Detroit River, and a detachiftent of Ihitish troojis under Major 
("hambers, which came from Niagara to reinforce him, amounting to several hun- 
dred men. — HulTs " A/ef/ioi/s," page 115. 

From these two sources at least five hundred men must have been added to his 
force, which would therefore be — 

Regulars and Canadian militia ...... 730 

Major Chambers's reinforcement, with sailors and marines from 

the fleet .......... 500 

Indians .......... 1000 



2230 men. 

The testimony of Major Snelling, a swift witness for the prosecution, as to the 
lunnbers of the enemy, was so given that it is difficult to say whether he made 
them to be 750 men or 2,250. It may be interpreted either way. — Fordes's 
" Report of Court- Alartial^^ page 40. 

Robert Wallace, of Kentucky, who was one of General Hull's aids during the 
campaign, wrote an interesting account of it for a Western newspaper, in which 
he stated that " the British regulars and Canadians were about three thousand 
men ; but the numbers of Indians could not have been known by Brock himself. 
In addition to Tecumseh's band and the Wyandots, they had gathered in from 
all the regions of the Northern lakes — a countless number." Mr. Wallace states 
that his summons as a witness did not reach him in season to allow him to give 
evidence at the trial — which was unfortunate for General Hull. — " Ci~,'il and 
Military Life of William //nil,'' page 443. 

* Reside the inhabitants of the town, there were, as we have seen, a large 
number of white persons scattered through the Territory of Michigan, who 
would have been massacred by the Indians as soon as fighting began. 



HULL'S SURRENDI'.K OF DE'J'KOI'J: 11 

first, and defied Brock. The latter opened a severe cannonade on 
the fort and town. British troops and Indian warriors were sent 
across the river to attack the Americans. Battle lines were formed, 
and the American soldiers, confident of victory, were eager, it is 
said, to measure strength with the foe. Hull did not share with 
his troops the expectation of victory. On the contrary, he expected 
defeat, and just as a conflict was about to begin, the General 
ordered his men to retreat into the fort. They were astounded, 
bewildered, and exasperated, but obeyed. 

Impressed by a sense of imminent danger to the lives of his sol- 
diery and the inhabitants of the town from the fierce cruelty of an 
overwhelming number of savages, the General, without consulting 
any of his officers, now ordered a white flag to be unfurled over 
the fort, when the firing ceased. Very soon afterwards the fort 
was surrendered by Hull, with the troops, the town, and the Ter- 
ritory. The officers and soldiers were greatly excited. The act 
was so sudden that they could hardly believe their senses. The 
General had not even suggested the possibility of a surrender. 
Not a gun had been fired against the enemy ; not an effort luid 
been made to stay his course. The troops (so testified the offi- 
cers) felt that they had been betrayed. Nothing but respect for 
gray hai s and veneration for a soldier of the Revolution saved 
Hull from personal violence for a moment. The soldiers* were 
paroled and sent home; the General and the other officers were 



* General Hull's own estimate of his force at the time of the 

surrender was ......... 8oo men. 

The average of Major Jessup's two estimates . . . 850 " 

Colonel Cass's statement in his letter of September loth . 1060 " 

(jeneral Brock's statement of the number captured . . 2500 " 

Colonel Cass was alisent at the time of the surrender, and derived his infor- 
mation from others. General Brock made the number captured one thousand 
greater than any number General Hull had under his command during the cam- 
paign. The statement of the Brigade- Major, Jessup, is probably reliable. 



L- or 0. 



12 HULL'S SURRENDER OE DETROIT. 

taken as captives to Montreal, where they were soon exchanged or 
otherwise released. 

At Fort George, on tlie Niagara River, Hull wrote a report of 
recent proceedings to the Secretary of War, but was not permitted 
to send it until he reached Montreal. In that report he gener- 
ously took all the responsibility of the act of surrender upon 
himself. "I well knew the responsibility of the measure," he 
wrote, "and take the w-hole of it on myself. It was dictated by a 
sense of duty, and a full conviction of its expediency. The bands 
of savages which had then joined the British force were numerous 
beyond example. Their numbers have since increased ; and the 
history of the barbarians of the north of Europe does not furnish 
examples of more greedy violence than these savages have ex- 
hibited. A large portion of the brave and gallant officers and men 
I command would cheerfully have contested until the last cartridge 
had been expended and bayonets worn to the sockets. I could not 
consent to the useless sacrifice of such brave men when I knew it 
was impossible for me to sustain my situation. It was impossible, 
in the nature of things, that an army could have been furnished 
with tlie necessary supplies of provisions, military stores, clothing, 
and comforts for the sick, or pack-horses, through a wilderness of 
two hundred miles, filled with hostile savages.* It was impossible, 
Sir, that this little army, worn down by fatigue, by sickness, by 
wounds, and deaths, could have supported itself not only against 
the collected force of all the northern Indians, but against the 
united strength of Upper Canada, whose population consists of 
more than twenty times the number contained in the Territory of 
Michigan, aided by the principal part of the regular forces of the 



* By ihc oviilcncc of Baird, Ihe contraclor for the sup])ly of the army .it 
l)etn)it, il appears that on tlic ih\y of tlie surrender, the provisions were almost 
cxhausletl, and two expeditions sent out to hring in supjilies had been defeated 
by the Indians. — Null's ^^Mcmoirs^' page 77. 



HULL'S SURRENDER OE DETROIT. 13 

province, and the wealth and influence of the Northwest and other 
trading establishments among the Indians, who liave in their em- 
ployment more than two thousand men."* 

In the meantime a few troops under Colonel McArthur, who had 
not arrived at Detroit, had been included in the surrender and 
parole. Colonel Cass immediately started for Wasliington City to 
connnunicate a history of the affair to the government. It was 
made in writing, and exhibited much warmth of feeling against 
General Hull. It was made up of a ievi facts and many express- 
ions of opinion. "To see the whole of our men flushed with a 
liojie of victory," Cass wrote, "eagerly awaiting the approaching 
contest — to see them afterwards dispirited, hopeless, and despond- 
ing, at least five hundred shedding tears because they were not al- 
lowed to meet their country's foe and to fight their'country's bat- 
tles, excited sensations which no American has ever before had 
cause to feel, and wliich, 1 trust in God, will never again be felt 
while our men remain to defend the standard of the Union . 
Confident I am that, had the courage and conduct of the General 
been equal to the spirit and zeal of the troops, the event would 
have been as brilliant and successful as it is disastrous and dishon- 
orable."! 

* The fact which made the surrender of Hull necessary, was that his com- 
munications were entirely cut off, and both attempts to restore them had failed. 
Food and annnunition were nearly gone — the army was cut off from its base, and 
fell, as a matter of course. In the same way, during our Civil War, Charleston, 
which had successfully resisted the most powerful assaults from the army and 
fleet of the Union, fell without a blow as soon as Sherman had cut its railroad 
communications. 

f Mr. Silliman, of Zanesville, Ohio, brother-in-law of Colonel Cass, testified, 
on the trial, that on the 12th of August, four days before the surrender, Cass 
wrote to him in these terms : " Our situation is critical. Men and j^rovisons are 
necessary for our existence. I wish you to hasten the march of troops from your 
parts. Is there nothing to be done on the lake to make a diversion in our favor? 
As bad as you may think of our situation, it is still worse than you believe." — 
Forbes' s " Repo7t of the Trial" page 135. Compare this with his statenient'-- 
after the surrender. 



14 HULL'S SURRENDER OE DETROIT. 

This sensational history was scattered broadcast over the country 
by the newspapers, and excited intense indignation against the un- 
fortunate General in the public mind. It was welcomed by Dr. 
Eustis, the Secretary of War, and General Dearborn, the Com- 
mander-in-Chief, as a foil to the just censure which they would 
have received for remissness in official duty had the whole truth 
been known ; how the Secretary omitted to inform Hull of the de- 
claration of war until it was known in Canada, and even in the wil- 
derness near Mackinaw ; and how Dearborn had failed to commu- 
nicate to Hull the fact that he had agreed to an armistice which 
relieved Brock from duty on the Niagara frontier, and allowed him 
to hasten to the western frontier of Canada. Hull was made the 
scapegoat of these officers, and they allowed him to suffer for their 
own sins. He was abused by almost everybody and everywhere, 
without stint, and the most impossible stories were told and be- 
lieved about his being bribed by the British to surrender. The ab- 
surd story was put afloat and actually credited that a wagon-load of 
" British gold" had been taken to his house at Newton, whither 
he had retired to the shelter of domestic life from the storm of vi- 
tuperation, after his return from captivity in September. 

The well-informed government and the ill-informed people 
joined in the pursuit of General Hull with the lash of bitter 
calumny; the former with the selfish intention to shield itself from 
reproach, and the latter impelled by a righteous indignation against 
one whom they regarded as an almost unpardonable sinner. The 
people had been made to believe by the politicians of the war 
party that Canada might be very easily conquered by a small 
American force, and public expectation ran high, when news came 
in that our flag had been unfurled upon its soil. But men of more 
wisdom and experience had formed contrary opinions. General 
Harrison had seen, from the beginning, the danger of such an 
invasion as that undertaken by Hull. And when he heard of the 



HULL'S SURRENDER OF DETROIT. 15 

fall of Mackinaw, he regarded it as the forerunner of the capture 
of Chicago and JJclroit. This opinion he expressed in a letter 
written on the 6th of August. On the loth he again wrote to the 
Secretary of War, saying: "I greatly fear that the capture of 
Mackinaw will give such eclat to the British and Indians that the 
Northern Tribes will pour down in swarms upon Detroit, oblige 
General Hull to act on the defensive, and meet and perhaps over- 
power the convoys and reinforcements which may be sent to him." 
This is precisely what happened when Van Home, with a detach- 
ment, went to meet a convoy of supplies from Ohio. Harrison 
continues: "It appears to me, indeed, highly probable that the 
large detachment which is now destined for his (Hull's) relief, 
under Colonel Wells, will have to fight its way. I greatly rely on 
the valor of those troops, but it is possible that the event may be 
adverse to us, and if it is, Detroit must fall, and with it every hope 
jf reestablishing our affairs in that quarter until the next year. 

Soon after General Hull returned to his home in Newton he 
was placed under arrest, and the government preferred grave 
charges against him. A court-martial assembled at Philadelphia 
late in February, 1S13, with General Wade Hampton as President, 
and A. J. Dallas as Judge-Advocate. Hull, who was anxious for 
an investigation, appeared with alacrity before the court; but the 
President of the United States dissolved the court before it had 
entered upon its business, without giving a reason for the act. It 
was almost a year before another court-martial was convened at 
Albany, with General Dearborn as President, assisted by three 
brigadier-generals, four colonels and five lieutenant-colonels. 
These were Generals Bloomfield, Parker and Covington; Colonels 
Fenwick, Carberry, Little and Irvine; and Lieutenant-Colonels 
Dennis, Connor, Davis, Scott and Stewart. Mr. Dallas was again 
the Judge-Advocate, and the government employed able counsel to 
assist him. 



16 HULL'S SURRENDER OE DETROIT. 

A majority of the mcinlK-rs of this court were young men recently 
promotcil to their resjKjctive offices. Some of them had served as 
uitls to (Jeneral I)earlx>rn, aiul liad been introthiced into the army 
by his iKitronage. (Jeneral Hull might, with great projjriety, have 
objectetl to the comiK)siti()n of the court, for he blamed (leneral 
I>earl)orn for his negligence, and his own accjuittal would condemn 
that «ifficer. Hut he was anxious for an investigation, and he 
waived all feeling. 'I'he court oi)ened business on tlie 3(1 ol Janu- 
ary, 1S14. 

(Jeneral Hull w;ls charged with Treason, Couiardicr, anii Neglect 
0/ tiuly It till iinoffiier/ike coniiuct from the i)t/i 0/ April to August 1 6, 
181 J. The s|»ecirications under the charge of Treason were : (i.) 
Hiring the vessel to transport his sick men and baggage from the 
Miami (at 'I'oletio) to Detroit; (2.) Not attacking the enemy's fort 
at Maiden, and retreating to Detroit; (3.) Not strengthening the 
fort at Detroit, an«l surrendering. The sixrcifications under the 
charge of Cojcariiice were : (i. ) Not attacking Maiden, and retreat- 
ing to Detroit; (2.) Ap|K*arance of alarm during the cannonade; 
(3.) Ap|)earance of alarm on the day of the surrender; (4.) .Sur- 
render of Detroit. The specifications under the third charge were 
similar to those under the second. 

'i'his trial, in most of its asi)ccts, w:is a remarkable and most dis- 
graceful one, and no sensible man can read the record of it without 
a conviction that (Jeneral Hull was oflered a s;icrifice to appease 
public indignation, and to the necessity of preserving the Adminis- 
tration from disgrace and contempt. The court was evidently 
constituted for this end. The President of the court, who w;ls the 
Connnander-in-Chief of the armies, w;us deeply interested in the 
conviction ofCJeneral Hull. IK had made a serious and (for Hull) 
a fatal blunder in concluding an armisti«c with Sir (Jeorge I'revost 
without inc luding the Army of the Northwest, or even advising its 
commander of the omit^ion. Ii Hull should be acipiitted, the 



HULL'S SURRENDER OF DETROIT. 17 

President of the court might be compelled to appear before a similar 
tribunal on a charge of neglect of duty. It is a significant fact to 
be remembered that the President was called from very important 
military duties at that time, to preside over a -trial that lasted 
eighty days, when there were other peers of the accused not nearly 
as much engaged as the Commander-in-Chie*". The principal wit- 
nesses against the accused were allowed extraordinary latitude. 
They were permitted to give their opinions concerning military 
movements, which were admitted as evidence; a thing unheard of 
in a court, excepting in the case of medical or other experts. 
Chiefly upon such kind of testimony the unfortunate General was 
condemned. Some militia officers who had never been under fire, 
testified that because of the peculiar appearance of the General's 
face during the cannonade of the fort it was their opinion that he 
was moved by fear; whilst others, who had been in battle, attri- 
buted his appearance to the real cause — exhausting fatigue of mind 
and body, for neither had enjoyed any rest scarcely for several days 
and nights. 

The charge of treason was withdrawn 'at the beginning of the 
trial, in a manner most injurious to the accused, namely, that the 
court had no jurisdiction; but when the trial was over, they saw 
the necessity of saying, in their verdict: "The evidence on the 
subject having been publicly given, the court deem it proper, in 
justice to the accused, to say that they do not believe, from anything 
that has appeared before them, that General Hull has committed 
treason against the United States." Why this show of " ju tice to the 
accused?" The reason is obvious. The principal fact on which the 
charge of treason was based was the sending of the baggage, intrench- 
ing tools, and sick, by water past a British fort after war was declared. 
Because of the neglect of the Secretary of War to send an early 
notice to Hull of that declaration, the latter was ignorant of the 
important act until after his schooner had sailed. He might have 



18 HULLS SURRENDER OE DETROIT. 

received the notice some days before she sailed, had the Secretary 
not been remiss in his duty. That fact, and the proof which ap- 
peared that the British at Maiden had received a notice of the 
declaration of war before Hull's vessel sailed, in a letter franked 
by the Secretary of the Treasury (in consequence of which the 
British were enabled to send an armed vessel out of Maiden to 
capture Hull's schooner), were likely to be damaging to the Ad- 
ministration; so the court, more ready to serve the government 
than to do justice, dismissed the charge of treason, and made a 
forced acknowledgment of the General's innocence of that crime. 
But upon the strength of the extraordinary testimony alluded to, 
they found the veteran soldier guilty of the second and third 
charges, and sentenced him to be shot dead! On account of his 
Revolutionary services, as the court alleged, they earnestly recom- 
mended him to the mercy of the President. Madison approved 
the sentence, but pardoned the alleged offender. By this act Jus- 
tice and Mercy, in the public estimation, were satisfied; the Ad- 
ministration was absolved from its sins by sacrificing upon the altar 
of its selfishness the character (which was to him dearer than life) 
of the innocent victim, and History was allowed to unconsciously 
defile her pen by writing falsely of the immolated patriot. What 
a relief to the Administration from crushing responsibility was this 
unjust sentence! The Secretary of War, conscious of his own 
errors, expected to feel the public wrath, and liad written to Gene- 
ral Dearborn: " Fortunately for you, the want of success which has 
attended the campaign will be attributed to the Secretary of War." 
General Hull bved under a dark cloud of unmerited reproach, and 
was compelled to keep silent for the want of facts to establish his 
innocence. His papers were burned while on their way from De- 
troit to Buffalo, after the surrender; and during two Administra- 
tions he was denied the privilege of obtaining copies of papers in 
the War Department at Washington that might vindicate his cha- 



HULL'S SURRENDER OF DETROIT. 19 

racter. Wlien John C. Calhoun became Secretary of War, he 
generously gave Hull permission to copy any paper he wished. 
With the material so obtained, the General began the preparation 
of a vindication, which was published in a series of letters in a 
Boston Xie.\\%'\)Z.^tx (^American Statesman) in 1S24, when he was past 
three-score-and-ten years of age. He lived long enough after pub- 
lishing that vindication to perceive unmistakable signs of sympathy 
in the partially disabused public mind, which prophesied of future 
awards of justice. In 1S25 the citizens of Boston testified their 
respect for him by giving him a public dinner. 

In the darkest hours of his adversity General Hull enjoyed the 
society of generous friends outside of his loving family circle, who 
thoroughly believed in him. He was in continual correspondence 
with his old and sympathizing companions-in-arms; and men of 
high degree in social life were sometimes his guests. Lafayette 
visited him when that distinguished Frenchman was the nation's 
guest fifty years ago. 

In judging the conduct of General Hull at Detroit, we must 
remember that he was far down the western slope of life at the time 
of his surrender, when men are very cautious, and when they are 
more apt to counsel than to act. The perils and fatigues of the 
march from Dayton to Detroit had affected him, and the anxieties 
arising from his responsibilities bore heavily upon his judgment. 
These difficulties his young, vigorous, ambitious and daring officers 
could not understand; and while they were cursing him, they 
should have been kindly cherishing him. When he could perceive 
no alternative but surrender or destruction — destruction to his army 
and the old men, women and children who had taken refuse in 
Detroit from the fury of the savages — he bravely determined to 
choose the most courageous and humane course; so he faced the 
taunts of his soldiers and the expected scorn of his country.nen, 
rather than fill the beautiful land of the Ohio and the young settle- 



20 HULLS SURRENDER OF DETROIT. 

ments of Michigan with mourning. To one of his aids he said: 

** You return to your family without a stain; as for myself I have 

sacrificed a reputation dearer to me than life, but I have saved the 

inhabitants of Detroit, and my heart approves the act." 

The conception of the campaign against Canada was a huge 

blunder. Hull saw it and protested against it. The failure to put 

in vigorous motion for his support auxiliary and cooperative forces 

was criminal neglect. When the result was found to be a failure 

and humiliation, the Administration perceived it and sought a 

refuge. Public indignation must be appeased; the lightning of the 

public wrath must be averted. I repeat it — General Hull was made 

the chosen victim for the peace-offering — the sin-bearing scapegoat 

— and on his head the fiery thunderbolts were hurled. The case of 

General Hull illustrates' the force of Shakspeare's words: 

" 'Tis strange how many unimagined charges 
Can swarm upon a man when once the lid 
Of the Pandora box of contumely 
Is opened o'er his head." 




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